<p>I've seen a lot of people say that you are competing with the other people in your region, not with everyone in the country. I am from a small, rural, quite frankly "redneck" area that is about an hour away from a major city. I did well on my tests and have good grades and ECs. Will the fact that I'm in a rural area that is near an affluent area work for me or against me?</p>
<p>I don't think it should, because you'll have a regional admissions officer who is familiar with your area. I think it might actually help you a bit that you're of a "diverse" background.</p>
<p>It will help. "Geographic diversity."</p>
<p>My situation is (perhaps) similar. I'm a minority (one of those damn over represented ones, lol), from (according to wikipedia's citation of the US Census), a 98% white rural town. Last year someone from a 'socioeconomically disadvantaged' home got into Yale early decision. I've applied RD, (application started processing Oct 1st) and had an interview.</p>
<p>Do I present any diversity at all if someone from my school/area is already at Yale? That is to say, do I lose geographic diversity considerations because a student from my school/area is already at Yale?</p>
<p>Oh I hope not! Someone from my school is a senior at Yale...long time ago, lol. I'm thinking (and this isn't based on any facts at all) that if the student does well at Yale, it might look better for you, since it might say something good about your school. I don't know, just a conjecture.</p>
<p>Yale, like all the top flight colleges, seeks diversity at all levels. I live about two hours from a major metro area. Because the budget is much smaller, our students do not have all the advantages (such as great science labs -- our budget for the department is just $700 for the year). Still, Stanford has taken a student each of the past two years. Another student got into UNC -- and he was out of state. All three had wonderful test scores, GPAs and ECs. Living in the middle of nowhere just might help you land a spot at Yale.</p>
<p>Ahh, the middle of nowhere. That does indeed describe my small Pennsylvania town that "clings" to guns and religion.</p>
<p>Political jokes aside; should I be worrying about how the Yale student from my school is doing? The AP Chem teacher that wrote his rec letter wrote mine, and while he lives in NY and I in PA (right on the border), both towns are very little.
(He's class of 2012, so, there wouldn't be much of an academic record)</p>